Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone News

[h3]We’re halfway in our campaign, already reaching 160% of the target funding amount – what an achievement, big thanks, everyone![/h3]

Once again, we can’t even say how grateful we are for all your support: we already see, hear, and read that many of you are involved in discussions about the game here in comments, on Discord, Steam, and our other social media. We're gathering feedback, responding and reacting to your questions and suggestions because we believe this is the right way of making the game like Chernobylite 2.

Knowing that our campaign is fully funded and additionally backed up for more than half of its initial target, we can finally share with you the full list of stretch goals we can achieve if more players worldwide believe in what we’re doing. We'll elaborate more on the following goals in our future updates, but see and think if they're inspiring to you to spread the word about our campaign and let us create even more cool stuff to Chernobylite 2.



Some of you asked about our current stretch goal, which was extra locations for cooperation mode - are they playable in solo/single-player campaign? Yes, they are, you can fully experience them on your own without need to invite your friends (even if we believe it's cooler then). All parts of Chernobylite 2 can be played in a single-player campaign, and cooperative mode is a cherry on the cake to let you enjoy some of the missions with your friends if this is the way you like to visit the Zone.

But just to remind you what our initial inspiration and dream was, before we planned and launched the Kickstarter campaign, there was already a long road with the Chernobylite 2 concept phase and development.

Right after the final release of the first Chernobylite in 2021, we started to think about what would be the next big step for making our game world even better (besides making it bigger). Yes, we always consider our work as an opportunity for others to visit a place that is not quickly or safely available for everyone. The key hero in our stories was always the Zone itself, the place that is both tempting and scary, beautiful and full of sadness, interesting and terrifying. The place where anything and everything can happen, the region which you can become addicted to, but also can harm you a lot or even kill you when you’re not aware of the threats.



Chornobyl Exclusion Zone is a very special area, hundreds of square kilometers protected by fences, militia, special forces, and military personnel to prevent any uninvited visitors from wandering around. Although for several years tourist trips were being organized for people wanting to take a look at the Zone, today, mostly because of the war in Ukraine, it’s totally forbidden to explore the area unless you’re a scientist, military, or you got a permission to work on some specific project.



Then, after delivering Chernobyl VR Project in 2016 and Chernobylite in 2021, our next goal was to create something bigger and let you see more and more of the Zone.

Just to provide some picture: in the Chernobyl VR Project, it was necessary to spend about 1 hour to see all the tiny pieces of the Chornobyl Zone we could 3D-scan and provide within the interactive world. In the first Chernobylite, you had to spend 12-15 hours to see all the areas and get through all the missions. In Chernobylite 2 you will spend at least 25-30 hours to get through the main campaign, and there will be many more places and missions to let you experience the Zone for another few dozens of hours. We created a world about 20 times bigger than the playable area of all missions from Chernobylite 1 combined. Our biggest dream was to provide it with the open-world form, with the possibility to travel across the Zone without needing to return to the mission hub each time. It took us almost 3 years to build this world, and we can’t wait to show it to you in its entirety.



This trip is getting close to its finish line – soon, we’ll provide you with the demo version of Chernobylite 2, where you can see and try how this new adventure is shaping up. Then, we’ll give you access to the Beta version of the full game, letting you explore almost all the areas we’ve recreated digitally and where we added a lot of surprising and crazy events to make your trip exciting and challenging. And, when the game is finally finetuned, expanded, and polished with your support, we’ll deliver a full version of Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, which fulfills our desire to create an ultimate Chornobyl adventure.

Stay with us; we have plenty of new and interesting things to showcase to you in the following days.

[h2]That's all! See you soon![/h2]



[hr][/hr][h2]We are working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone

[h2]Stalkers![/h2]
Thanks again for supporting us and helping us reach more than ever. Today, we've achieved another milestone in our campaign: With EUR 140,000 already pledged, we secured the resources to add a really cool feature to the game.



Do you remember Blaster from the original Chernobylite? It was the ultimate weapon used by Black Stalker himself. Extremely powerful and energy-consuming, Blaster could get you out of trouble, assuming you had enough chernobylite crystals to power it.

Thanks to the stretch goal just reached, the Blaster will get plenty of extra add-ons and attachments to make it even more powerful and to let you experiment with different ways of using it.





What about the next stretch goal, then?

[h3]If we reach EUR 160,000, we'll create few extra maps for cooperative mode in Chernobylite 2. In other words, you'll get more options to play with your friends online.[/h3]



We haven't revealed too much info on the cooperative missions yet, but we're sure that they will be an excellent opportunity for many of you to play in a totally different way than during solo quests.

That's not all. You asked, and we responded: some of you were interested in getting an extra Planewalker or Cold War-era mask for the tiers that don't include this option. Although we're constrained by how many masks we can provide, we created an add-on to let you get an extra mask for your physical pledge. If you're into them, you can alter your order and add your piece - but hurry up because they are limited in stock.



[h2]That's all! See you soon![/h2]



[hr][/hr][h2]We are working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone

Many of you asked about the details and higher-resolution pictures of our physical rewards, so here they are. We also included these pictures on our main campaign page, but here, they'll all be better combined and explained.



In Chernobylite 2 you're a Planewalker, an inter-dimensional traveler. In the beginning, you explore the parallel universes in search of the precious and highly energetic chernobylite substance. Still, at some point, this substance appears not just a material. It's a god-like being, destroyer, and harvester of the worlds. You'll have a lot of ways to deal with its threats, but at least for the radiation danger, you could be well protected by wearing our Kickstarter-exclusive Planewalker mask. It's available both in a digital asset version (as part of your in-game equipment) and in a physical option - the real-size mask, which looks awesome on your trophy shelf.



But what else could be more stylishly protecting you from the radiation itself than the original Cold War gas mask taken from the military stocks of post-Soviet armies? Besides being one of the iconic items in your game equipment, this mask is also available as a physical reward in a few of the limited tiers.



At some point in the game, you meet the old friend, Black Stalker. This time, he plays a totally different role than in the original Chernobylite. And you'll be able to use much more of his gear and equipment in Chernobylite 2, so why won't you also grab one of his masks or backpack in physical versions?





In some of the physical reward tiers, you can obtain the Black Stalker Backpack, which for sure will allow you to plan your stalker's quests in real life.



Chernobylite crystals are the most potent source of energy in the universe. In some of the physical reward tiers, you can grab limited, specially grown green crystals that mimic the look of Chernobylite in the game but are 100% safe to be put on your night table.



Thanks to you, we believe we have proven that our game is not only a work of passion but also an enjoyment, adventure, and art to many of you. Once again, within Chernobylite 2 development, we want to share the concepts, work-in-progress materials, behind-the-scenes intel, and pictures of our imagination in many different ways, here and on our social media.



And do you know you could wear the same T-shirt our team is wearing on the Kickstarter video and often also at work?



And because you asked, we've also prepared a limited stock of the original Chernobylite artbook that was available in our first Kickstarter campaign in 2019. You can add this to any of your physical tiers.



In upcoming posts, we will delve deeper into the various rewards, exploring their original concepts and ideas. Stay tuned!



[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

When we released Chernobylite to Early Access a few years ago, the idea for the Weekly Report series was born in our heads. These were weekly entries in which we showed behind-the-scenes work on the game, as well as all the interesting facts related to it. The entries were very popular among you and, as it turns out, you keep coming back to them.

When we announced Chernobylite 2: Exclusion Zone, we knew that sooner or later we would want to launch a similar format for this project as well. That day has finally come.

[h2]Welcome to the first Chernobylite 2 devlog entry![/h2]

What will you read about in the coming weeks? Among other things, about the project's path, from the first sketches to full production (did you know that one of the ideas assumed that Chernobylite 2 would be a tactical game?). We will show graphics and videos of gameplay that have not been published anywhere else. We will also tell you how our experiences with Chernobylite influenced the production process of the sequel.

As you can see, we have a lot to talk about with you. So stay tuned!

In the meantime, we encourage you to watch the video below, in which the developers discuss an important issue: the first-person mode in Chernobylite 2.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

We recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, the aim of which is to raise funds for the developing and implementation of this feature in the game. This move on our part was the result of analyzing many of your opinions. You often expressed concerns that the lack of a combat mode in FPP would deprive the game of the fun you experienced while playing Chernobylite.

Now you can rest assured. You have a 100% guarantee from us that the FPP mode will appear in the game! And it's all thanks to your support!

But that's not all. We will continue our campaign for the next few weeks. We have added several additional goals to the campaign to provide the game with several more elements that will make the gameplay more attractive. Some of them has already been achieved.



It's worth supporting us further, not only because we'll provide you with many new toys thanks to this - all backers will receive cool stuff in return!

But back to the topic. The last stretch goal has been reached recently. As many of you remember from the original Chernobylite, there was a possibility to customize your firearms in many different ways. You could craft, add, or replace sights, barrels, handles, ammo types and other aspects of your shooting experience.

The same will happen in Chernobylite 2, with all the weapons you can use in first-person and third-person modes. You'll get a crafting tables and workshops for improving your weapon range, firepower, accuracy, stability and other statistics - all with cool looking tools and attachments.



And what next?

Well, do you remind the Blaster weapon from original Chernobylite? If you don't, it means that you've never used it. Blaster is the ultimate solution for every encounter where all other weapons combined won't work. Originally, it was a unique Black Stalker weapon, but within the first Chernobylite expansions, we've made it available for players to let them feel like rulers of the Zone.



Still, unlikely to other weapons, Blaster was a unique item and had no options for any customizations. And we really want to change it - within Chernobylite 2 this weapon can get a plenty of attachments and boosters, to let you conquer the enemy territory in no time. What's needed here is reaching another stretch goal, what likely will happen very soon, right? Right?



Spread the word and help us deliver you this beauty with all the toys and make-up to shine bright.



By the way, we just delivered the Steam update for Chernobylite 1 today. In it, we fixed many things related to Steam Deck usage, including default performance configs, text legibility, external controller support, improved sound setup, etc. More info about this you can find here:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/532087167537644003





[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/

[h2]Hi Chornobyl explorers,[/h2]

Once again, big thanks for backing our campaign and helping us in improving Chernobylite 2 with a first-person combat mode. At top of it, with the stretch goals already reached, we will add weapon customization to the arsenal of tools you can use within your journey to Exclusion Zone.



With the first-person camera prototypes we've already prepared, today we made a few fresh screenshots to give a little feeling of what switchable perspectives may be when it comes to playing the game.



Here's a big thanks video from the team and a short recap of what our game and campaign are focused on:
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Remember that Chernobylite 2 combat is not just about firearms. We have a massive amount of white weapons and blunt objects to use against your enemies when you're not in the mood to lose your precious ammo. The close combat encounters with a machete or Chernobylite-powered swords may be even more fierce in a first-person perspective.

Many of you asked if we could deliver you some of the original Chernobylite merch, like artbooks. We've dug into the deep of our office catacomb and found something that you may all love. Yes, the physical Chernobylite 1 artbook that we have in our stock will be available as an optional add-on when you pledge to our campaign (but it's limited to 100 copies only).





[hr][/hr][h2]We're working on our new game! Add it to your wishlist![/h2]
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2075100/Chernobylite_2_Exclusion_Zone/